Dhaka, Jumada I 04, 1436, February 23, 2015, SPA -- Authorities called off a rescue operation Monday after retrieving at least 69 bodies from a ferry that capsized in a Bangladeshi river with about 150 passengers aboard, officials said, according to dpa. "The rescue operation is formally ended," said Rashida Ferdaus, chief administrator of Manikganj district, where the accident occurred Sunday. But she said divers would continue the search for bodies because some families complained that a few passengers were still missing. The death toll stood at 69 as rescuers found 28 more bodies Monday when they lifted the sunken vessel from the river. "Most of the bodies were found trapped inside the ferry after it was towed to the shore and salvaged," the district administrator said. Many of the passengers managed to swim to shore with the help of local residents before official rescuers reached the scene. --SPA 10:15 LOCAL TIME 07:15 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w